Phylogenetically structured differences in rRNA gene sequence variation among species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and their implications for sequence clustering

This dataset comprises sequences of the large subunit (LSU) ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene from 29 isolates representing 21 species of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, which are an ecologically important but poorly described group of soil fungi that form mutualisms with the roots of most terrestrial plant species. Sequences were obtained from either single or multiple spores of each AM fungal isolate. Six of the sampled species are represented by multiple geographic isolates, and eight isolates are represented by multiple independent DNA extractions. AM fungi as a group contain a wide range of variation in rRNA sequences. This study sought to sequence a large amount of this variation that occurs in AM fungal isolates from species across the phylogeny in order to assess whether sequence variation itself is a trait that may vary across the AM fungal phylogeny.